Tobirama looked at the Sky Screen, his expression one of surprise.
Awakening through love?
Now that was something new!
He stroked his chin, a glint of contemplation in his eyes. It seemed his research on the Uchiha was still insufficient.
However, this was likely just an isolated case—a rare good shoot—and held little research value.
Based on his years of observation, most members of the Uchiha Clan were sensitive and emotional. Those who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan were easily consumed by darkness, and the deeper the darkness, the more powerful their Dōjutsu became.
Uchiha Madara was the most typical example.
That was why he was so wary of the Uchiha Clan, though for the sake of Konoha, he had managed to treat them impartially. He just never expected that the Uchiha would produce such an anomaly. He wondered if, after this person, the Uchiha could change?
Tobirama's gaze turned toward the Sky Screen, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
If one could truly awaken the eyes through love, then there was still hope.
Across different timelines, countless Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan were now completely stunned. They couldn't believe it—they thought the Sky Screen was spouting nonsense.
Awaken through love?
How could that be!
They had personally experienced the process of awakening. That pain was simply impossible to describe with words.
The despair of watching a loved one die before their eyes, the grief of a close friend leaving—that gut-wrenching feeling—what kind of love could possibly overpower such emotions?
---
[Konoha, Year 52]
Uchiha Clan Compound.
The Uchiha who had been whispering among themselves about the Eternal Mangekyō quietly fell silent.
In the vast courtyard, aside from the chirping of insects, there was no sound at all.
But soon, countless murmurs arose.
"So we don't only awaken because of losing a friend or family member…"
"That's wonderful… wonderful! We Uchiha really aren't inherently evil as they say!"
"So intense love can also awaken the eyes?!"
"I wonder who this person is. Could they be one of us?"
"I really want to meet them."
In that moment, the Uchiha realized that despite pretending not to care about the Sky Screen's previous evaluations—or the village's persistent talk about them—deep down, they did care.
They had always been regarded as the "evil clan," suspected, isolated, and monitored.
But now the Sky Screen was saying that the Uchiha could awaken their eyes through love.
Didn't that mean they were not inherently evil?
Shisui was even more excited, his face even flushing slightly, his eyes gleaming with light.
Had the thousand-year curse of the Uchiha finally been broken? That clansman must have an extremely delicate heart!
Until now, he had never heard of an Uchiha awakening their eyes through love.
This was probably a future clansman, he really wanted to see it for himself.
Just then, the scene on the Sky Screen suddenly shifted to a forest.
A young girl was sobbing uncontrollably.
She had black hair and black eyes, delicate features, and wore a pair of red glasses. Her short hair was slightly tousled to one side, making her tearful face look especially pitiful.
Then, a voice came clearly from above.
"Sarada, what's wrong?"
The camera panned to reveal a man wearing a cloak, his black short hair obscuring half his face, revealing only one clear black-and-white eye.
The people of the Shinobi World looked at each other in confusion.
Who were these two?
They didn't recognize them.
Even Sasuke himself did not recognize his own 32-year-old future self.
Only Itachi, in the Akatsuki hideout, had his pupils widen in a rare display of shock, even though he tried his best to conceal it, his entire body trembled slightly.
It was Sasuke! No mistake—that was the future Sasuke.
Great, this was truly great.
Sasuke was still alive, living well.
---
[Konoha, Year 83]
A pineapple-haired boy nestled in his father's arms stared at the young girl who had suddenly appeared on the Sky Screen and stood up in surprise.
He pointed at the sky, his eyes wide.
"Ah, isn't that Sarada? But why is she crying?"
"And who's that uncle calling out to her?"
Naruto, looked down at his son, the corner of his mouth twitching.
---
Soon, Sarada's voice came through the screen.
"Papa, have you really forgotten? Boruto… he is the Seventh Hokage's own son—your most prized disciple!"
On the screen, Sarada lowered her head, her hands clenched into fists, "Please listen to the only selfish wish... Your daughter will ever demand of you. Pl-please save Boruto—I'm begging you, Papa!"
When she raised her head again, the black eyes from before had vanished, replaced by a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan with a sun-like pattern!
The sound of sharp intakes of breath echoed throughout the Shinobi World.
That young girl had awakened her eyes just like that! Simply out of concern for someone named Boruto—someone she loved?
Up in the sky, Sasuke seemed to finally understand.
"How is this possible!"
"What's going on here?"
In response to him, two streams of clear tears flowed from beneath Sarada's Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Please save Boruto, Papa!"
Countless Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō stood frozen in place.
"Awakening through love… so it's real. It's real!"
Shisui's voice trembled. "The curse of the Uchiha has truly been broken!"
The aged Madara, hidden deep underground, felt his pupils contract sharply, and Obito, standing in the shadows, went rigid.
And in the Akatsuki hideout, Itachi's gaze never left the young girl's face.
Those sun-patterned Mangekyō Sharingan were indeed breathtaking.
But that wasn't what Itachi cared about.
He stared at that delicate face, those red glasses, and the slightly reddened tip of her nose from crying, as if trying to etch her into his mind.
His eyes were filled with boundless joy.
'Sarada, is it? A beautiful name.'
"Sa" from Sasuke, and "rada"—meaning kind and graceful.
---
[Future Timeline]
The man who had been lounging on a tree branch was now sitting upright, frowning at the Sky Screen.
"Sarada also awakens the Mangekyō in the future?"
"And Boruto is Naruto's son, isn't he? So he ends up becoming my disciple… I wonder what he did to get framed as a culprit. And that caused Sarada to awaken her Mangekyō?"
---
At the Seventh Hokage's house.
Naruto, stared with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a fist.
Boruto… what happened to Boruto? What had happened in the future? Why was he the culprit?
He felt his brain turn into mush.
Although he didn't express himself much usually and spent little time with him, that didn't mean he didn't love his son! It was just that, having never experienced fatherly love himself, he didn't know how to show it.
But Boruto was his child.
In this world, who could possibly frame him? To the point where Sasuke had to step in and save him!
Naruto clenched his fists.
What about himself? Where was he?
'Boruto…'
'Dad will definitely protect you.'
'No matter what you've done in the future, you're still my son.'
But—
Why did he have to take Sasuke as his sensei?
His dad was pretty strong too, you know!
*****
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